Food, Grooming, Water, Clipping 261 



evil results follow, if this precaution is taken, and 

 if the circidation, pulsation, and respiration are tran- 

 quil and normal. You take water freely yourself — 

 even ice-water — and escape all harm. In what 

 does your horse differ from you that he must be 

 left to suffer ? 



Moderately " soft " water is best and most appe- 

 tising and favourable to condition; still the system 

 will adapt itself to the " hardest." Water should not 

 be made zcar/zi in taking the " chill off," as that is 

 not tempting, but merely raised to a reasonable 

 temperature, as that of the stable. 



In any case, a horse should never be stinted in 

 his w^ater-supply, and always have as much as he 

 wants, unless he is under the care of a veteri- 

 nary who may have given orders to the contrary. 

 Too many people still cling to that old cruel 

 and senseless practice of keeping a horse short in his 

 water-supply, as they think it is beneficial to hard 

 condition. It is, of course, true that an unseasoned 

 horse drinks considerably more water than one that 

 is in hard condition and more or less in training, 



